Safety cranking device for engines.



G. A. KUNTZ.

SAFETY CRANKING DEVICE FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12. m5.

1,176,908. v. Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 5:0, WASHINGTON, D. C.

s'AFETYoRANKIIvG 'nEvIoEroR enemas.

masses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

appneatidnifiiedtiiamh 12,1915. serialna-iagaaa To riZZw-homz'ztmayconcern Be it known that I, GEORGE A. KUNTZ, a citizen --of theUnited States, residing at Des Moines, in the county-of Polk and Stateoflowa, have invented new-and useful Improvements in Safety GrankingDevices for Engines, of which the following is a specificati'on. r

This invention rel-ates to safety 'oranking devices for engines'theobject in view being to provide a devicefc-apable of being at tachedto an automobileor motorcar for the purposerof eliminatingthe danger tothe operator in cranking an internal combustion engine with the ordinarylrand'crank which has been in use for so many years.

More specifically statedfthe object of the invention is to provideadevice which is controlledby theirsual sp'arkleadlever and which isarranged to be interposed between the cranking shaft and the shaft ofthe engine so that it is impossible tobring said shafts into cooperativerelation to each other while the commutator or timer is in a position toadvance the spark of the ignition apparatus. Consequently, the operator,before he is enabled to crank the engine, is first required to move thecommutator to spark retarding position, under which condition there isno liability of the engine to kick back or start revolving in the wrongdirection, the same frequently resulting in the arm of the operatorbeing broken or otherwise seriously injured.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as hereindescribed, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation showing thedevice of this invention applied to an internal combustion engine withthe shield interposed between the clutch elements of the cranking shaftand engine shaft. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position of theshield when the commutator has been moved to spark retarding position.Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism, showing the relation of theshield to the engine shaft and cranking shaft.

The mechanism of this invention comprises a comparatively small numberof parts, A designating the shield operating arm, 0 the shield, D theshield retaining spring, and E the shield supporting bracket.

F designates the ordinary oscillatory commutator or f timer providedwith the 1 operatln-g arm *7" from which a rod oro'ther connection gextends to a rock shaft leading along T the steering columnof anautomobile and having attachedthereto what is termed the spark leadlever operating in conjunctlon with the usual quadrant, the means rjustdescribed enabling thc commutator F'to be oscillated in one direction ora the other for the purpose of retarding or advancing "the spark. r

Theshiel d actuating arm A comprises a substantrally annular orcircularen'd portion a of proper si'ze toiit aroundthe hubjf of thecommutator or timer F, the said annular portion of the arm being clampedtightly "aroun'd'the hub f by means of a clamplngscrew or boltf The endportion or extremity of'the arm A'is offset at subst'antmlly a rightangle to form an operating tongue h which extends through an openmg h inthe shield C the purpose of which Wlll presently appear. The main bodyof the shield C is substantially in the form of a disk of sufficientsize to be interposed between the clutch face or element at the innerend of the cranking shaft H and the complemental clutch element H on theadjacent extremity of the engine shaft thereby preventing said clutchelements from being brought into cooperative relation to each other. Theshield C is pivotally mounted on astub shaft 2' carried by an L-shapedsupporting arm or bracket I bolted or otherwise secured at z" to theframe or body of the engine. The supporting bracket is provided with anofistanding extension 70 to which is attached one extremity of acontractile spring D the other extremity of which is connected at m tothe shield C at such a point that when the shield is shifted to theupper limit of its movement, the spring serves to hold the shieldtemporarily at such point while the operator is cranking the engine andwhen the shield is moved to its position between the clutch elements,said spring serves to temporarily and yieldingly hold the shield in thelast named position. It will be observed that the shield operating arm Ais adjustable relatively to and around the hub of the commutator ortimerF so that the relative range of movement of said parts may be 'varied inaccordance with the requirement in each case.

The spring and the arm A are adjusted so as to throw the shield Cdownwardly be- Patented lifiar. 2-8, 1916. j

'tween the starting crank and the engine shaft just before the sparkleadlever reaches a point where the commutator is set to advance the spark,thus making it necessary for the operator to retardthe spark before thestarting crank may be operated in conjunction with the engine shaft. Theopening h allows the spark lead lever to be any reason, the spark isleft too far ad-,

moved from a full retarding position to a fully advanced position on thequadrant without interfering in any way with the other parts of themotor. Therefore, if for vanced, the starting crank cannot beennectingsaid shield and commutator operat ing to interpose the shield betweensaid clutch elements when the commutator is moved to advance the spark,and to displace Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centseach, by addressing, the Commissioner of Patents,

the shield from such position when the 0on1 v mutator is moved to sparkretarding position, and a spring attachedto said shield and acting toyieldingly hold the same at.

either limit of its throw.

2. In a safety cranking device for engines, 7 the combination with thecranking shaft 7 and the engineshaft having coacting clutch elements, ofa shield movable between said clutch elements, a commutator, and ashield operating arm on the latterpositively engag- Whenthe commutatorismoved to advance the spark, and to displace the shield. from suchposition when the commutator ismoved' mg said shield and operatingtointerpose. the shield between said clutch elements to spark retardingposition, said arm being adjustable on the commutator to admit of avariation in the relative range of movement of the shield andcommutator. v

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses: V r p B. FRANK PRENL JENNY, S. SAYLER.

Washington, D; 0. r V

GEORGE A. K NTZQ

